By Ann-Marie Alcántara
Ah, winter in San Francisco. Compared to the rest of the country, we have it easy — 60 degree days, sunny weather from time to time, with just the occasional rain and fog. This winter, San Francisco gets even more special with 16 light artworks all over the city as part of an exhibition called “Illuminate SF.”
Put together by San Francisco Travel, “Illuminate SF” brings together illuminated artworks that are mostly free and accessible by foot or public transportation. Eleven of the artworks are permanent, like the Language of the Birds sculpture in North Beach, while the rest are temporary. Five pieces are actually located at the San Francisco International Airport — the only official accredited museum in an airport in the United States. So, if you find yourself traveling, three of the installations are in the International terminal and you don’t need a ticket to see the exhibit. (The other two are at Terminal 3 and are only available to ticketed passengers). And while you can casually see the rest of “Illuminate SF” at any time, just remember you can only see the Three Gems, which is located at the Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden at the de Young Museum, during museum hours.
If you need a guide to the show, San Francisco Travel has provided both a map on IlluminateSF.com as well as an Illuminate SF installation map app.
The project is over a year in the making and technically, it’s in its second year. Last year, San Francisco Travel held a tour of six permanent light artworks and received so much attention they decided to create a fuller experience out of the art. “Illuminate SF” will continue throughout 2015 with other pieces.
Whether you visit all or some of the 16 sites, there’s no better way to spend a quiet night than exploring San Francisco’s glowing art treasures. Just remember — look up!
Below are the the installations titles and where to find them:
1. Soma, Embarcadero Pier 14 at Mission Street
2. The Bay Lights, Embarcadero
3. Bayview Rise, Pier 92, Third Street and Cargo Way
4. Metamorphosis, Exploratorium, Embarcadero, Pier 15
5. Language of the Birds, North Beach, Between Broadway and Columbus Avenue
6. Firefly, Civic Center, 525 Golden Gate Avenue at Polk Street
7. (Caruso’s Dream), Civic Center, 55 Ninth Street
8. Skygarden, Mid-Market, 90 Seventh Street facing Mission Street
9. Three Gems, Golden Gate Park, Barbro Osher Sculpture Garden, de Young Museum
10. Ocean Mirror with Fragments, Inner Sunset, UCSF Medical Center, 505 Parnassus Avenue
11. Bliss Dance, Treasure Island, Avenue of the Palms at 5th Street
12. Four Sculptural Light Reflectors, SFO, International Terminal, Pre-Security
13. Light Beams for the Sky of a Transfer Corridor, SFO, International Terminal, A-6, Level 2, Pre-Security
14. Wind Portal, SFO, Between BART and AirTrain
15. Spirogyrate, SFO, Terminal 3, Boarding Area E, Level 2, Post-Security
16. Sky, SFO, Terminal 3, Boarding Area E, Level 2, Post-Security
Top photo courtesy of James Turrell.
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